UK Theatre Network

24:7 Theatre Festival, Manchester

Friday 24 July 2009

As We Forgive Them - Pure/Blue

Writer/performer Richard Vergette returns to 24:7 after his acclaimed one-man show An Englishman’s Home in 2007.  This year he is joined by powerful young actor Joe Sims in an intense three-act drama which is perfectly suited to the claustrophobic space in Blue.

Congressman John Daniels (Richard Vergette) is paying a personal visit to the high-security wing of the state penitentiary, where Lee Fenton (Joe Sims) is serving life for the murder of the congressman’s daughter. 

Daniels is the epitome of the bleeding heart liberal, still firmly opposed to the death penalty in spite of his own tragic loss, and apparently on an evangelical mission to save Fenton’s soul.  Initially, however, there seems to be no possibility of communication between the two: the prisoner, slumped in his chair and unable to concentrate, merely grunts profanities; while Daniels is verbose to the n-th degree, apparently in love with the sound of his own voice.

The skill of the writing manages to make something out of this seemingly intractable situation, while Andrew Pearson’s excellent direction creates moments of edge-of-the-seat tension.

As we come to care about Fenton’s reform the play springs a nifty surprise.  As We Forgive Them is an involving and sometimes moving story which is enhanced by a pair of marvellous performances.

www.247theatrefestival.co.uk has all the show information including video trailers

Tickets: £8/£6 (conc): book online from the 247 website or ring 0870 428 0785 (or turn up at the venues)

Venues: Pure at the Printworks, off Withy Grove/Corporation Street; New Century House, Corporation Street (200 metres from The Printworks)

Both venues are a stone’s throw from Manchester Victoria Station